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W.R. Berkley reports record $4.1bn Q2 premium volume and margin gains
Gross premiums written rose to $4.1 billion, and the company said catastrophe losses fell across its insurance and reinsurance segments.
W.R. Berkley Corporation posted record gross premiums written of $4.1 billion in Q2 2026, up from $3.98 billion a year earlier, as underwriting results improved. Insurance lines offset a decline in reinsurance, helping the consolidated combined ratio improve to 90.0% from 91.6%, according to Insurance Business.
Pre-tax underwriting income rose 21.8% to $317.5 million. The current accident year combined ratio before catastrophe losses was 88.1%, with catastrophe losses adding 2.0 loss ratio points, the outlet reported.
Net income to common stockholders increased 12.7% to $452.3 million, or $1.15 per diluted share, while operating income rose 18.2% to $497.1 million, or $1.27 per diluted share. The Chairman, CEO and president W. Robert Berkley, Jr. said the company is focused on risk-adjusted returns and favorable pricing, and he described cycle management as a hallmark of the approach.
In segment results, the insurance segment’s GAAP combined ratio improved to 91.4% from 92.1%, with the loss ratio tightening to 63.1% from 63.8%. The insurance segment’s catastrophe losses fell to $59.8 million from $77.6 million in Q2 2025, while the reinsurance and monoline excess segment’s GAAP combined ratio improved to 79.3% from 87.4%, with catastrophe losses dropping to $2.6 million from $21.6 million, Insurance Business said.